MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed (Diyarbakır)- In 2011, Özge Özbek was sentenced to six years and three months in prison by the Ankara 11th High Criminal Court on charges of “membership in an illegal organization. She was arrested and sent to prison after her prison sentence was upheld by the Turkish Supreme Court. Diagnosed with multiple brain tumors, she underwent an open brain surgery; however, the Forensic Medicine Institution prepared a report saying ‘She can stay in prison’. Her health has been deteriorating because she cannot receive regular treatment in the prison.

She has lost her hearing in left ear

On December 24, 2021, the Darıca Training and Research Hospital Health Board prepared a report saying that she could not stay in prison after her prison sentence was upheld by the Turkish Supreme Court. However, the Forensic Medicine Institution in Istanbul prepared a new report saying, “She can stay in prison’.

Özge Özbek has been held in Sincan Women’s Closed Prison in Ankara although she suffers from multiple brain tumors and epilepsy. She suffers from constant headaches and loss of balance and she has lost her hearing in left ear, her spouse, Özgür Özbek, told NuJINHA.

“Sick political prisoners are not released and this is a method of torture,” Özgür Özbek said, giving information about Özge Özbek.

“She cannot hear anything in her left ear now. She also suffers from constant headaches. She is given painkillers when she suffers from headaches. Unfortunately, she cannot receive appropriate treatment in the prison. She should undergo another surgery but Özge does not want to undergo surgery under prison conditions. She also suffers from weight loss and difficulty in walking and speaking. Her treatment lasts very long. Having an MRI takes months and taking the result of the MRI takes months.

‘There is an increase and growth in tumors’

Although Özge Özbek needs urgent treatment, she has to wait for months to receive an appropriate treatment in prison, Özgür Özbek stressed, adding, “There is an increase and growth in tumors. She should always be under physician control. If she does not receive an appropriate treatment, the tumors will cause irreparable damage.”

‘Sick prisoners are not released until they are on their deathbed’

Calling for more effective steps to be taken for sick prisoners, Özgür Özbek said, “We are very afraid of receiving a phone call from the prison at any moment. All sick prisoners should be immediately released so that they will be able to receive appropriate treatment. Although our lawyers requested the release of Özge many times, their requests were rejected due to the policies against political prisoners. Today, there are hundreds of sick prisoners and they are not released from prison until they are on their deathbed. I call on everyone, especially politicians and intellectuals, to raise their voices and demand the release of sick prisoners.”